Traversing the St. Joseph River Highways of Yesterday Native Americans and Europeans used rivers and lakes to navigate throughout the region—much like highways today. In southwest Michigan the St. Joseph River was a major water route for the fur trade. People and goods were transported along rivers and waterways in canoes and over land by portages—trails that circumvented falls or connected two bodies of water. The portage near Fort St. Joseph led to the Kankakee River and the Mississippi River drainage.

The fur trade depended on rivers and waterways to transport people and goods. Furs from Fort St. Joseph were Map showing Fort St. Joseph on the St. Joseph River and its taken to Montreal and Quebec many tributaries that were used to traverse the region. by canoe before shipment to Courtesy of Allison Kohley. Europe. Map by Jason Glatz, WMU University Library Mapping Services.

Bark was harvested from birch trees in the dark yellow areas Two men portaging their canoe over the rapids in 1673. and shipped along rivers and Portaging was necessary to travel over land between water waterways to Native and sources and also to get around falls, fallen trees, and other European settlements in the obstacles. From the Granger Collection, New York. pale yellow areas. Note the location of Fort St. Joseph in Plying the Waters of the St. Joseph River proximity to a birch habitat. Archaeological evidence, artwork, and ethnographic sources indicate that several different types of watercraft were used to navigate the St. Joseph River. For centuries Native Americans were using birch bark canoes produced from birch trees in central and northern Michigan. These canoes were light and easy to portage. Natives also used dugout canoes, made from a solid log.

No. of Birch bark canoes Type Length were light Paddlers enough for a A native man single person to sitting in a dugout portage. A Native Montreal canoe which was American is 33-40 ft. 8-16 heavy and not depicted in this Canoe easily portaged. watercolor by These canoes Winslow Homer were made in called “The Bastard areas where birch Portage.” 29-33 ft. 6-8 bark was not Canoe available. Photo by Edward S. North Curtis. 24-28 ft. 4-6 Canoe Settlers used two other main types of canoes: the Montreal Half-size Settlers and Canoes 18-24 ft. 3-4 canoe and the North canoe. The Canoe Europeans adopted Native technology Montreal canoe was 33-40 feet to travel on rivers and waterways. Fishing long and was used on the Great 15-18 ft. 2 Longer distances required larger canoes Canoe Lakes and larger rivers like the to carry more goods for potentially St. Joseph River during the fur Indian greater profit. Settlers learned to make 13-16 ft. 2 trade. Because Montreal canoes Canoe dugout canoes, which were similar to were too heavy to portage, rafts, and were guided by a large oar. Canoes used in the eighteenth-century fur trade were distinguished by size, with Montreal voyageurs would move their canoes being the largest. They were used to transport goods from Montreal to the Great Dugout canoes could carry over 2,000 Lakes. Smaller canoes were used to take goods into the interior of the continent and goods into North canoes in returned with furs. Fishing canoes were used by both settlers and Native Americans. pounds of trade goods and provisions, Indian canoes refer to both birch bark canoes and dugouts. Courtesy of Kenneth Sarkozy. bundles weighing about 90 lbs. such as dried peas, corn, and flour. each. North canoes were common on smaller rivers west of the Great Lakes.

A North canoe tipped on its side, with trade items scattered about. Some of This reconstructed North canoe is 26’ long, A Montreal canoe. Shooting the Rapids, painted by these goods might include glass beads, brass kettles, iron tools, and cloth. could hold 4-6 men, and required two men Frances Anne Hopkins (1863). Voyageurs at Dawn, painted by Frances Anne Hopkins (1871). to portage. From the Canadian Canoe Museum, photo by Michael Cullen.